Surface coverings in an industrial environment are exposed to a variety of stresses caused by foot traffic, vehicles and other objects which are moved across the surfaces. As a result, such surfaces experience gouging, scratching, scraping and other stresses which result in a deterioration of the ability of the floor to perform in a satisfactory manner. Concrete has long been known to be an unsatisfactory material because, under such stresses, it has demonstrated spalling and other properties which have precluded use in an industrial environment.
In order to overcome these difficulties, floor toppings, coatings, sealers and the like (collectively referred to herein as "coatings" or "coating systems") have been developed comprising epoxy and other resinous materials. These coating systems have been utilized to provide tough, durable surfaces which are capable of withstanding severe stresses even under extremely adverse conditions. Nevertheless, these systems have drawbacks in that they are expensive and are relatively slow-curing when installed during refurbishing operations. In addition, many epoxy coatings comprise basic curing components which are less favored for use in environments where pharmaceuticals and foods are processed because special handling of the coatings is required.
Accordingly, one objective of the present invention is to provide novel epoxy coating systems which comprise inorganic components that replace at least a portion of the epoxy components as found in conventional systems.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide rapid-curing epoxy systems which have improved performance characteristics.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide a modified epoxy system comprising an interpenetrating network of inorganic material which stabilizes the thermal expansion characteristics of the resulting system so as to make said system more amenable to use as a concrete coating material.
These and other objectives of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments which follow.